Guardian's Christmas
by Saiyan Jedi
Summary: Our favorite Guardian (an original character) met someone very special at Christmas when she was nine years old.


SJ: To make up for deleting my other Christmas fic, I'm posting this one. The idea came into my head from out of NOWHERE, but fics like that are usually my best work. This has hints and more of Christianity, so if that offends you, then don't read it. I hope you like it. I own nothing!!!

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Naid shivered, glaring at the last minute shoppers with something akin to hate. They had a nice home to live in and food to eat and warm clothes to wear they were worried about getting the right present for people they probably hated and only saw once a year. Whereas she, and all the other street kids, never got enough to eat and didn't have enough clothes during the winter nor a roof over their heads. She didn't know what city she was in, but it was the worst she'd ever been to. No one in the city cared enough to have an orphanage and all the shelters and soup kitchens required that a child be accompanied by an adult. The worst thing about it was that she was currently in America and she was pretty sure there were laws against that kind of thing.

"Hey, scram!" a man yelled at her, running at her with a broom as she stared into the windows of his store. She scampered off, falling when she turned to see if the man was still chasing her and landing right in a snowdrift.

"So much for Christmas spirit." She growled, pulling herself out of the snow onto her knees and shivering again - her thin jacket was no match for the cold air, much less a face-first dive into a snow bank.

"What was that about Christmas spirit?" a young man, about thirty-three, asked, holding out a gloved hand to help her up.

"So much for it, I said. I don't see much of it around here, do you?" Naid asked, taking His hand and pulling herself up.

"How would you like to have a warm place to stay this Christmas?" He asked, a kind sparkle in His eyes.

"I would like that a lot. Are you asking me to stay with you?" she asked, her young eyes calculating.

"Yes. Just for a little while. I won't hurt you." He smiled at her.

/Naid, I don't think he means you any harm./ Sola said reassuringly. Naid nodded.

*~*

"Do you live here?" Naid asked Him when they arrived.

"It's my house." He answered, leading her in the back door and taking her to the kitchen.

"But it's a church." She said.

"It's still my house. Here, let he help you." He said, picking her up and setting her on the counter of the small kitchen. Then He dug around in the refrigerator, pulling out milk. He took a pan, two cups, and hot chocolate mix.

Within ten minutes they were sipping hot chocolate and chatting.

"Why doesn't this city have any place for orphans?" Naid asked.

"Because some people don't care about anything but themselves. It's not right, but they don't know or don't care." He responded with a shrug. "But don't hate the people for the mistakes of some. That's not right, either."

"I know I shouldn't. It's just so hard because they take so much for granted and I … well, I don't have much." Naid said. He laughed and leaned over, tapping Naid's arm where the Armlet was, hidden by her coat.

"But you have much more than they do in other respects. Come, child, help me with dinner." Naid hopped off the counter and helped make dinner.

After dinner, as He was finding a place for Naid to sleep that night, she had a question.

"Why do people celebrate Christmas?"

"Well, a long, long time ago the Savior was born in a stable. He was God's one and only Son and he had come to die for the sins of the people. A sin is something that people do that is against God. Jesus, that's the Savior's name, lived a perfect life, but was put on trial and killed the most horrible way they killed criminals back then, by being crucified. When He died, He took all the people's sins with them. Then, three days later, He came back to life. He did it so that all that people have to do to go to heaven is believe in Him, because He loves them so much and He wants them to be able to spend eternity with Him. Christmas is when people celebrate Jesus' birth."

"What's crucified mean?"

"You know what a cross is, right? Well, 'crucified' is when someone is nailed to a large wooden cross by his wrists and feet and they hang there until they die. It takes a long time and is very painful." He said as He found a place for Naid to sleep. "I know this isn't a bed, but it should do fine." He took off His coat and gloves and laid His coat over her.

"good night, Naid." He said, leaving the room

Right before He left, she saw two circular wounds in His wrists, one on each wrist, both going right through to the other side.

*~*

When Naid woke up, He was gone and there was a note with the coat and gloves.

"Naid, I know you'll grow into these, so keep them to stay warm, okay? Remember, I love you." 

She read it over twice before standing and putting the coat on. It was really big, but the warmest thing she'd ever worn. Then she gasped.

She'd never told the man her name.

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Merry Christmas and carpe diem.


End file.
